Oil-well-tubing drainer



arch 8 7 J. c. TAYLoR A OIL WELL TUBING DRAINER Filed April 122, 1925 ul. m, m

WI TN SSES.

Patented Mar. S, 1927.

` UNITED sTArus JEROME C. TAYLOR, OF HUNTINGTON BEACH, CALIFORNIA.

OIL-WELL-TUBING DRAINER.

Application filed April 22, 1926. Serial No. 103,818.

My invention relates to an oil well tubing drainer, that will permit the draining of the contents of a string of oil well tubing while in the well, in which invention or device the valve consists of plungers and plunger bores operated in conjunction with and opened au-- tomatically by a spring mandrel guide assembly; the said valve being opened and closed by the withdrawing and inserting of l0 said plungers in their bores past channels or openings leading from the inside to the outside of the tubing which openings are intercepted by the plungers when inserted in their bores; and the object of the device is to provide a. means of automatically draining the contents of a string of oil well tubing as and before the said tubing is removed from the well.

I attain these objects by means of the mechanical device illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which Figure l is a view in perspective of said mechanical device in actual use, incorporated into a string of tubing which has been 25 lowered into the casing, showing the top half `of a part of the casing removed.

Figure 2 is a vertical cross section of the device on the dotted line 1, 2 in Figure 3.

Figure 3 shows a view of the drain block (c) looking down fromabove when the device is in a vertical position.

Figure 4 is a cross section of the drain block (c) plungers (p) and plunger block (d) on the dotted line l, 2 in Figure 3, r showing the plungers withdrawn in their bores past the channels or openings through which the contents of the tubing may pass out.

Similar letters refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

The said tubing draining device consists and is made up of the following and in the following manner b) is a steel tube both ends of which are'threaded with standard male threading. (c) is a drain block made by taking a parallelepiped rectangular solid block of steel and truncating the four longer edges so that the .two square faces forming what will be termed the base and top are shaped as shown in Figure 3. Lengthwise through the center of thedrain block a cylindrical bore (t) is drilled of about the same diameter as the outside diameter of the tube (I9)A the two ends of this bore being threaded to receive standard male threading as found on the ends of the tube (b) also lengthwise through said drain block and in opposite corners thereof in the place indicated in the accompanying drawing two other cylindrical bores of smaller diameter (o) are bored. The said three bores being parallel with each other and the longer sides and edges of the truncated parallelepiped drain block (c). The vtwo smaller bores (o) will hereafter be referred to as plunger bores. Each of said plunger bores is connected with the larger bore (t) by cylindrical channels bored at right angles to the said plunger bores (o). At another point in the plunger bores (o) each of said plunger bores (o) is also connected with the outside of the drain block (c) by two cylindrical channels or holes (m) bored through said drain block at right angles to said plunger bores.

When the plungers (p) are withdrawn in their bores (o) past all of said holes or passages leading at right angles to them a passage or channel is opened leading from the inside of the bore (t) in the drain block (c) through the drain block C0) to thepoutside thereof the course of which may be seen by referring to the course marked by'the arrows in Figure 4 of the drawing.

When the plungers (p) are fully inserted in their bores (o) past all of said holes or passages (n and m) the opening or channel or passage leading from the inside of the larger bore (t) out through the drain block (c) and to the outside thereof are all closed.

The drain block (c) is fastened tovone end of the tube (6) by means ofthe aforementioned threading, that isl by screwing the male threading on one end of the tube (b) into the threading on the inside of the bore (t). The tube and drain block (c) thus assembled form the frame of the device. Just above the threading on the end of the tubing (b) opposite the drain block a coil spring retainer is welded.

Closely fitted over the tube (h) is a second tube (e) of somewhat shorter length, hereinafter referred to as the plunger block sleeve, which slips up and down on said tube (b). This second tube (e) is also fitted with standard male threading on both ends, one end of which is screwed into a collar (7L) and the other end is screwed into a square collar with truncated lateral edges (CZ) hereinafter referred' to as the plunger block and from which plunger block projects two cylindrical columns (p) hereinafter called plungers so placed as to slide. up and 'downin the plunger bores (o) into which they are closely fitted, as the plunger block sleeve (e) slips up and down on the tube (D).

A coil spring (s) is'titted around the tube (b) one end ot which spring' rests in the coil spring retainer (i) andthe other end against the collarY (7L) with sutlicienttension to hold the plunger block (el) against the drain block (c) and causing the plungers (79) to be fully inserted in their plunger' bores (o). It vforce is applied to the plunger bloclc sleeve (c) Vit maybe 4forced ,down against .the said coil Yspring compressing-it and allowing the `plunger block .sleeve to slide down away from the drain block (c) and drawing the plungers (/,ul downward in their bores (o).

The tension of thevcoil spring may be increased or lessened by introducing alonger or shorter spring tension spacer between thercoil spring (s) and the bott-om of the coil spring retainer The open ends of theplunger bores (0) opposite. the ends where the plungers enter are closed by inserting therein pipeplugs (Z) but a very small hole is drilled through these-pipe plugs which permits the intake and escape ot air or liquid from the plunger bores when the` plungers are withdrawn and inserted in said plunger bores.

Sliding up v`and down on the plunger block sleeve (e) between the plunger block (ci) and the collar (it) isa spring.mandrelguide assembly consisting of tour convex springs (g) fastened at each end to a spring mandrel guidering (7)` by means of cap, screws (r). The spring mandrel guide assembly is of su'iiicient size and so constructed that the spring mandrel guide springs (g) make contact with the inside ot the well casing into which the said draining device is inserted when in use.

The size of the various parts above `referred to must of necessity vary with the size el the casing in which the drz incr is to be used. For example it i the drainer is to be usedv in a string 0r6 inch well casing the inventor has used ,the following sizeparts, to-wit:-The tube (b) isA approximately six feet long and two and Aa half inches in diameter (inside measurement)` and is made of standard two anda half inch oil well tubing. The plunger block sleeve (c) is made of standard three inch oil well tubing and is vabout -four feet long and three inches in diameter (inside measurementl. vrl`he drain block (c) is approximately l/g inches by inches byl inches. The plungerfbores (o) are 5/8 inch in diameter. The spring mandrel guide is approximately-l0 inches long.

The method of using and operating the tubing draining device is` as follows:-

The 'tubing l drainer is incorporated into the string of tubingtorbe lowered-into the well and forms van integral part thereof, by coupling the same with the drain block (c) up, by means of threading, between two lengths of the tubing forming the string ot tubing. ,to be. lowered as afloresaid, as shown in Figure l in the accompanying drawing. As the string of tubing into which the draining device has been incorporated as aforesaid is'lowered into ythe casing the spring mandrel guide assembly engagesand forms aV friction contact -withthe linside of the casing slipping only with some pressure.- This friction causes the spring mandrel guide assembly to be forced up against the plunger -bloclr- (d) as the tubing islowered or forced down in the casing. The pump -or other means ot forcing up the oil is started and the oil is drawn up through. the tubing in the usual way, which usual way is through a valve atthe rbottom ot the tubino.

It it is desired to pull the stringA of tubing out of the well and no such tubing drainer as here above described is incorporated into the string of tubing the tubing remains full of oil as it is takentrom` the casing and as the joints are unscrewed the oil therein spills out promiscuously and is wasted and` lost as it cannot be conveniently caught or saved. It therefore becomes desirable to drain the tubing while it is in the casing thus saving the oil. It the string of tubing VVhas incorporated into itA the tubing draining device above described all that is necessary to do to drain the tubing while in the casing is to start to pull out the string of tubing. As the string oftubing starts upward the spring mandrelguide assembly sticks to-theinside of the casing on account ot the spring contact therewith and the plungerblocl' sleeve (e) slides up through it until the collar (h) thereon comes in contact with said spring mandrel guide assembly whereupon the Vi'riction drag or pull ofthe spring mandrel guide is exerted against the collar (h) causing the plunger block sleeve (e) and plunger block (d) carrying the plungers (p) to travel downward towards the coil spring retainer (i) and the 4plunger block (ci) to travel away `from the drain block (c) withdrawing the plungers in their bores pastall of the passages or openings (n and-ml thus alfording the oil or contents ot' the string of tubing va passage way or means of escape throughthe drain block 4and into the well casing in the manner indicated by the arrows in Figure it ofthe accompanying drawing,'thus draining the string of tubing.

Alt will be observed that-'the tubing drainer is automatically operated'and opened and the tubing drained when the string ot tubing is started to be withdrawn 'fromfthe well.

Vith respect to said device and invention, I claim l. The combination with a pump tube, of anormally closeddrainage valve mounted in leo Lemire the pump tube, a friction device slidably mounted upon the pump tube and adapted to engage a well casing in which the tube is inserted, means limiting the sliding movement of said friction device relatively upward on the pump tube7 a member engaged by said friction device upon a relatively upward movement of the pump tube causing tbe opening` of said valve7 and a spring :normally engaging said member to resist the movement thereof.

2. The combination with a pump tube, of a valve block having a main' bore extending` therethrough for tlireadedly receiving one end of tbe pump tube, a pair of auxiliary bores, a pair of transverse bores connecting the main bore and the auxiliary bores and a second pair ot' transverse bores connecting the auxiliary bores with the exterior of the block, means for closing the upper ends of the auxiliary bores, plunge-rs slidable in the auxiliary bores, a head slidable on the tube and connected with the plungers, a suction device slidably mounted upon the front tube and adapted to engage a Well casing in which tbe tube is inserted, said device adapted to engage the plunger head upon the downward movement of the tube in tbe casing and means engaged by said friction device upon a relatively upward movement of the front tube causing' the downward movement of the head with its plungers for opening the valve `formed by the block and plungers.

JEROME C. TAYLOR. 

